Dr. Jonghyun Lee, assistant professor in the School of Social Work, has been spreading the word, in print and on the air, about two issues that affect his fellow Koreans.
His research on hwabyung and depression among Korean immigrants was published by Social Work in Mental Health. Hwabyung is a Korean word literally meaning, “fire illness.” The illness is an indigenous psychiatric illness commonly found among Koreans. It is believed that chronic stress can cause the onset of the illness, which is manifested mainly through somatic symptoms.
An abstract of the article is availablehere, or access the full text below.
Dr. Lee also took to the airways to discuss his work in this area. The interview was carried by the only English-speaking radio station in Busan, South Korea’s second largest city. During the morning drive show called “Morning Wave in Busan,” Dr. Lee expounded on his research.
The entire show, including Dr. Lee’s segment, can be heard here.
Lastly, Dr. Lee took up another topic during winter break, when he was invited to give a lecture at East China Normal University in Shanghai. He discussed the challenges faced by migrant workers and their families in China and the ways social workers can help.
“It was an extremely fun and productive trip,” he said. (Story by John Winters, G ’11; photo by Steve Rowell, University News)
